Twitter Tags

Your Tags

How a Subscription Box Service Gave Me Confidence to Teach My Toddler During Quarantine squib

There was a distinct moment during shelter in place where I realized the (warranted) sighs from working parents frustrated with homeschooling while holding down jobs and stepping in as household IT support didn't entirely apply to me. I worked from home; I was frustrated; I was trying my best to fill my daughter's day with exploration and education. But my 28-month old was just on the brink of beginning pre-school. In fact, it was just days before the SIP order that I got an email from a pre-school saying they'd likely have a spot for my daughter in the next few weeks.

So when a neighbor mentioned how great it was for her daughter to see classmates via Zoom, I sighed a different kind of sigh. We hadn't started schooling so, well, we didn't have anything formal to follow, or anyone familiar to see. And it was at that moment I reassessed the random Instagram Live gym and music classes we'd been joining. It all felt a little directionless; we didn't recognize anyone. Though I knew I was trying my best, I felt guilty that my daughter was at a pivotal point and ready to absorb the world and socialize in a classroom-setting, and with her usual gym and art classes all canceled, it was up to me to come up with something. It needed to be fun, somewhat educational (again, she's 2), part of a routine, and easy to execute. I did a bunch of research to see how other parents were entertaining their young tots and knew what to do. Hitting play on some virtual class wasn't going to cut it. I needed to teach her, even if I didn't know how.

After looking through various activity subscription box services I chose Little Passports's Early Explorers subscription box for 3 to 5 year olds. It was geared slightly older - my daughter is not even 2 1/2 yet - but had such strong reviews I felt confident it would provide me with exactly what I needed: direction, a routine, and engagement. Here's how it worked: